Arami Catches Fire, Temporarily Shuttering West Town’s Sushi Stalwart

As the folks behind Arami prepare to open a new restaurant this week, their original and acclaimed restaurant is now closed, at least temporarily. That’s because a fire occurred at Arami in West Town on Friday night, and the restaurant is currently not in business. There’s no word when it will reopen on Chicago Avenue—but ownership is confident that it will be back in short order.

No one was hurt in the Friday evening blaze. Owner Ty Fujimura says in a statement and a Facebook post to the restaurant’s page that "Arami will re-open, better than ever, as soon as we fix the damage that occurred." Stay tuned for updates.

Arami’s food has garnered consistent praise for years, including being named one of Chicago’s essential sushi restaurants, essential ramen restaurants, and a restaurant that serves some of Chicago’s best poke bowls in this very publication. Michelin has bestowed Bib Gourmand awards on the restaurant for the past two years.

Meanwhile, you can taste the restaurant group’s food later this week when its fine-dining sibling Entente opens in West Lakeview on Oct. 14.

UPDATE: Owner Ty Fujimura estimates that Arami will re-open in around four weeks. He says the fire wasn't major but the kitchen sustained significant water damage.